A True Love Story
by DramaQueen1821
Summary: Mac and Rod meet. Fall in love. Get married. Have kids. Who knows what all will happen!
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Keep in mind: I don't know a thing about law school. I tried to avoid too many details so I wouldn't get everything wrong. But if I did, I'm sorry, please let it slide and enjoy it purely for its entertainment value.**

**This is my first shot at fan fiction so I hope its okay. I really love the stories about how Mac and Rod met so here's my take on it…**

Tuesday Morning…

Rod Calloway walked into and took a seat in his first class on his first day of his first year at Yale Law School. He wasn't normally the nervous type. In fact, he excelled in stressful environments. But today, he was nervous. Nervous because the clock said exactly 8:00 AM and his father was walking into the classroom. Nervous because his father was an amazing lawyer and a great teacher, a man who expected a lot of his son and would accept nothing less. Nervous because he could only pray that he could deliver.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Professor Calloway and this is Ms. Allen," Rod's father said as a young lady entered the lecture hall. "As I am still a practicing attorney, there may be times when I will not be able to make it to class. I often have upper-level students assist me and fill in when I cannot be here. Ms. Allen will be graduating this spring and is one of our top students, if not THE top student, here. You all will benefit greatly from her presence here, I can assure you."

Rod was in awe. An instant crush had developed. She was tall, a perfect fit to his 6 foot 5 inch frame; beautiful, though unconventionally; and smart, also a perfect attribute as Rod was quite intelligent himself.

His concentration was broken when he heard his father say, "Exam."

"Is he kidding?" Rod thought. "We've only been in class 15 minutes."

He obviously wasn't kidding. Ms. Allen was already passing them out. As she made her way up the steps handing a stack a papers down each row, Rod thoughtfully congratulated himself for choosing an outside seat.

She reached his row and they locked eyes as she handed him his stack. They both smiled.

Mackenzie Allen almost tripped on the next step up. "Cute," she thought. "Sure hope he didn't notice that." He did, of course, and took it as a good sign.

Professor Calloway left Mackenzie to watch the students as they took their exam. A quiet room with no lecture to pay attention to left her free to daydream. She skimmed across the names on the class roster. There were well over a hundred names on that list. She'd never be able to guess his. He was cute, with an awfully sweet smile. She glanced in his direction occasionally, careful not to stare, and her mind began to wander…

"He looks tall. Athletic-tall, not gangly-tall though. Bonus points for that.

He must be pretty smart too. He wouldn't be HERE if he wasn't.

But this is a first-year class. Could he be younger than me? He doesn't look that young.

Seriously, Mackenzie, what are you thinking? You don't even know him."

Still, she just couldn't help it. There was something about him.

Wednesday Afternoon…

Rod was supposed to meet his father at his office at 5 o'clock. They had plans to meet his mom for dinner. It was only four but he had run out of ways to waste time so he dropped by anyway in hopes he could convince his old man to skip out early.

As Rod entered the suite, he spotted Ms. Allen at her desk immersed in grading the exams from the day before.

He caught his father just as he was walking out of his office. "Might there be any chance of us getting out of here any time soon?" Rod asked. "Not right now," his dad answered. "I've got a meeting with the chancellor. Why don't you hang out here and crack open one of those books you're carrying around. I'll be back before five, I promise."

Professor Calloway was about to walk out the door. "Ah, Mackenzie…" he said. "Rod, you remember Ms. Allen. I'm sure she would be glad to help you study while I'm gone."

"Dad, she's busy," Rod defended.

"Actually, no, I'm finished," she said as she straightened the stack of tests.

And with that, the professor was gone.

Rod Calloway, yes, she had remembered seeing that name on the roster. Knowing now that he was the boss' son really put a damper on (but did not extinguish) her excitement at seeing him again.

"So, Mackenzie," he said, glad to find out her name. "Can I call you Mackenzie or is that too informal?"

"No, not at all, Mackenzie's fine. Or Mac, most people call me Mac."

"Well, _Mac_," he said with emphasis, "if you don't have anything too pressing to do, would you mind helping me study?"

She agreed and they dove into one of his case studies. Mac listened to him go over the material for about 20 minutes before interrupting, "Rod, what in the world did you ask for my help for? You know this stuff."

Mac gestured towards the stack of papers she had been grading, "It must be in your blood. You had the highest score in the class on this exam. And it wasn't easy."

His heart skipped a beat. She recognized him from class. There were a hundred faces in that class and she had remembered his. And now that she knew his name, she remembered his score off-hand. He couldn't have been more thrilled.

Rod took this as a good sign as well and decided to play the charming card.

"Honestly," he said, "I was just hoping to command your attention for a little while."

She smiled. (Yes, mission accomplished.)

Now it was her heart's turn to skip a beat. Was he flirting with her? She was speechless.

Professor Calloway returned from his meeting with the chancellor just in time to save her from blushing. "Ready? Get your things; I'll meet you at the car."

"Sure," Rod replied.

He looked at Mackenzie, "Thanks for your help. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" she said, still a bit flustered.

He smiled. She was so cute. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Nothing could keep her from blushing this time. "Right," she said studiously. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Chapter 2 of my story. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think. I'll write as many chapters as you guys like to read. I love this lovey-dovey story stuff.**

Rod understood that Mackenzie was working for his father and he didn't want to put her in a compromising situation, so he made no advances towards her. Mackenzie likewise didn't want to push her luck, so she kept her distance as well. That didn't stop them from flirting whenever they got the chance: a smile when she caught his eye, a wink when he caught hers. Rod had even made it a regular habit to visit his dad's office when he knew he wasn't there and chat with Mac while he was "waiting on him."

The weeks flew by and before they knew it, months had passed. The fall term was coming to a close and Rod was itching to find out if this game he and Mac had been playing could finally become more than a game.

Now, over time, Rod had come to realize that Mac had a pretty strong personality. In fact, it was one of the things he liked most about her. When she wanted something, she just went for it and damn the road blocks if they got in her way. Still, though he knew this about her, he was surprised (and excited, mind you) to find her making the first move.

Rod entered his father's classroom for the last time, took his seat, and awaited his final exam. He wasn't worried; he had done well this semester and had no anxieties about any of his finals.

Mackenzie arrived just before eight and began handing out the tests. As she reached Rod, she handed him a stack of papers. "Take the top one," she whispered in passing. He did as he was told and began working, not knowing what to expect. Hours passed and flipping the packet to reveal the final page, he found two lines written on a pale pink sticky note:

21 Rockford Place #18

7:00 PM

He could feel his heart beating faster just thinking of seeing her tonight.

Rod finished his exam, dropped it on the desk at the front of the room and breezed out the door.

6:45 That Evening

Mackenzie was sitting at her bar, watching the hands of her clock slowly turn, and anticipating 7 o'clock. When Rod finally arrived, she opened the door, and with a sweet grin, stepped aside for him to enter.

Rod noticed that the room was dimly lit. Most of the light was coming from the fireplace and the candles lining the mantle. It was beautiful, romantic. And she was beautiful in it. The amber in the room made her skin glow and brought out the brown lowlights in her auburn hair.

Without a single word, Mackenzie removed a single white rose from his hand and placed it on the table beside the door. She then took his hands in hers and wrapped his arms around her back. As she wrapped hers around his neck, their lips met for a more perfect kiss then either of them had dreamt of.

Her lips were full and soft; her skin was smooth and flawless; her hair was cool and fragrant. Rod had felt something for Mackenzie the moment he saw her and he felt something more each moment he spent with her, but this moment…at this very moment, he felt love.

Their kiss broke and Mac laid her head on his shoulder, burying her face in his neck. She too had felt something in that moment. Could she be falling in love? As goal oriented as she was, it wasn't something she had been looking for. At the same time, it wasn't something she was opposed to finding. With this man, she felt vulnerable yet safe. Vulnerable in a sense that she felt like she could let go of every care in the world and safe in knowing that as long as she was in his arms, she could survive wholly off his strength. It was a comforting feeling, not one she had ever allowed herself to feel.

Mac pulled back to look him in the eyes. He had beautiful eyes. He had a beautiful smile, a beautiful face…a beautiful heart. Yes, she was in love. And she couldn't help but smile.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Starving," he replied.

They retired to the blanket she had laid out on the floor in front of the fireplace. Mackenzie placed Rod's rose in a vase and set it on the floor as well. They ate Chinese take-out and talked. They had gotten to know each other very well during Rod's visits to his father's office. They knew histories, they were familiar with personalities. Now they talked about dreams, feelings, directions…until they fell asleep in each others arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3…Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! I'm thinking I can probably keep this story going right up to the point of the congressional-question-flashback from whatever episode that was!**

The couple was on the verge of their first Christmas together. In the few weeks that had passed since their first date, Mac and Rod had been inseparable. And, though neither had admitted it yet, were madly in love.

The two of them had worked out a deal for the holidays: Christmas Eve with Rod's family here in New Haven, then an early morning drive to Groton for Christmas Day with Mackenzie's parents, and back home for an extra special New Year's Eve with friends. (Or all alone, they hadn't decided yet.)

Christmas Eve

Stephen Calloway watched his son's car pull into the driveway. Rod had mentioned that he was bringing someone for dinner and they were a former student, but he wouldn't divulge the name.

As he peaked through the dining room window, he saw Mackenzie Allen emerge from the passenger side door. Stephen wasn't the least bit surprised, because he hadn't been the least bit oblivious. He noticed the looks, the smiles; and he knew Rod visited his office when he wasn't there. He also knew that bringing a girl home to meet his family was a big step for his son.

Rod had always been a casual dater; more concerned with tomorrow's baseball game than finding the love of his life. So Stephen was well aware of what Mackenzie must mean to him.

"Spying on Rod?" whispered Meagan, just behind her father's ear.

"Of course," he said with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go get the door for them."

Meagan, at 16 years old, was the baby of the Calloway family. She opened the door and gave her brother a huge hug, "I'm so glad you're here. Come in, come in."

"Mac, this is my favorite sister…"

"His _only _sister; my name's Meagan," she interrupted as she wrapped her arm around Mackenzie's and led her into the house. "It'll be so nice to have another _girl_ around here."

While Rod was left to tend to the luggage, Meagan introduced Mac to the rest of the family. There were the brothers: Matthew, 18; James, 20; and Bryan, 23; all congregated around the pool table in the game room. Mimi and Pops (Grandma and Grandpa Calloway) and Uncle Robert and Aunt Jean Calloway were gathered in the kitchen picking at the dinner that was being prepared. Rod finally caught up to them as they were entering the den where his mother and father were chatting over cocktails.

"Well, well, look who it is," Stephen said, feigning surprise, as he stood to greet to group.

"Oh, please," Meagan squealed, "he saw you through the window."

"Can you blame me? I was curious; though I must admit that I suspected it all along."

Wrapping his arm around Mackenzie's shoulder, he continued in a whisper, "And was quite thrilled to find out my suspicions were correct."

The couple smiled. Rod knew his father liked Mac professionally, but was glad to find out that he supported their relationship.

"Sarah, this is Mackenzie Allen," and to Mackenzie, "Ms. Allen, this is my wife, Sarah."

Sarah Calloway was Rod's stepmother. His mother was killed in a car wreck shortly after Meagan was born, and his father had remarried a few years later. Rod and Sarah never really got along.

"Nice to meet you," she said with forced enthusiasm as she headed for the door. "I wonder if dinner's ready."

Mac and Rod looked at each other with an expression of sarcastic acceptance. Rod knew his stepmother would act this way, and he had warned Mac.

As it turns out, dinner was ready and everyone gathered in the dining room. The conversation was typical of a family getting together for the holidays: Matthew, who was attending Boston University on a hockey scholarship, was ranked second on his team for points scored; James had been accepted into NYU's pre-med program; and Robert and Jean announced that they would soon be grandparents. Sarah spoke very little throughout the course of the meal.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the den to exchange gifts. Again, Sarah remained relatively quiet. Stephen, noticing her lax enthusiasm, said, "Sarah, my dear, come help me break out that cheesecake for everyone."

The kitchen was just across the hall from the den, so when Stephen and Sarah began to raise their voices, Mackenzie could hear the conversation faintly. One thing she did hear clearly was her name. Listening would be eavesdropping, this she knew, but if the conversation was about her, she didn't care about being polite.

"She won't be any good for him, Stephen. She's too ambitious and she doesn't need him. His goals will get pushed to the back-burner until they're shoved out of the picture all together." Sarah paused for a moment, "He finally got out of that ridiculous military and onto a good path, a successful path. He doesn't need her. He needs a wife, a mother for his children. He's 25 years old, for goodness sake. Why can't he get serious about his future?"

"I think you're overreacting, and underestimating both of them," Stephen responded. "Rod and Mackenzie's lives are headed in very similar directions. And I think she needs him just as much as he needs her. They'll push each other to be great."

"Hot shot lawyers don't exactly make for great wives and mothers," Sarah continued.

Mackenzie couldn't take any more of this conversation. She was furious that someone could judge her in such a way when they had only known her a few hours. She excused herself from the group, assuring Rod that she just needed some fresh air, and went outside to cool down.

Rod had heard his parents' conversation. He had been talking louder than normal, hoping to shield Mackenzie's ears, but he knew now that she had heard. When several minutes had passed, he resolved to go look for her.

Rod opened the front door just Mac was reaching for the knob. He looked at her sympathetically, telling her that he knew what was wrong. She just shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it." As she began to step past him into the house, he raised his arm and planted it across the doorway, blocking her re-entry. Mackenzie glared at the arm for a moment, and when it didn't move, she glared at its owner.

"You have to listen to me, Mac," Rod pleaded. He was stern, but full of heart, so she relented. "Don't tell me that you don't care what she thinks. She's your mother."

"She's my step-mother," he replied. "There's a slight difference. But no, I don't care what she thinks. I care what I think. And what I feel."

He held her face in his warm hands and pressed his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes as she heard him whisper, "I love you, Mackenzie."


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: We learned a few weeks ago that Mackenzie grew up in Hartford. For the sake of the story, and because I don't want to go back and edit my previous chapters, we're going to pretend that her parents moved after she left for college. Okay? I chose Groton in the first place because there's a naval/submarine base there. So anyway…on with the story…**

Morning came and Mackenzie was awake bright and early. The guest room she was staying in faced east and the morning sun was shining warmly through her window. She was in a considerably better mood than she had been the day before. With Rod's words still swirling in her head, she resolved to forget about Sarah's ignorance. If she got the chance, she knew she would prove her wrong.

Mackenzie looked at the clock on the wall, it was 7:30, and with a sly little grin, she slinked out of bed, opened the bedroom door slowly so it wouldn't creak, and tip-toed down the hall to Rod's room. He was still asleep, just as she had suspected he would be. She climbed into his bed and nuzzled her nose against his cheek until he began to stir. Then she leaned into his ear and whispered, "I love you too."

She had been unable to respond the night before, first because of her initial surprise and then because they were interrupted by Meagan beckoning them back into the house for dessert.

Rod's eyes opened slowly and he smiled that sweet beautiful smile that Mackenzie so adored.

"I know," he bragged charmingly as he inched closer and kissed the bridge of her nose. "I'd give you a real kiss, but I'm afraid I have morning breath."

"Well, go brush your teeth and get your butt back in here," she joked.

"Oh, hell," he said as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her with all the warmth and passion he could convey.

By 8:30, the two were saying goodbye to the Calloway family, and by 9:30, hello to the Allen family.

"Oh, I thought you'd never get here," Kate exclaimed as she furiously hugged her only child. "Mackenzie, you're skinny as a rail. Have you been eating right?"

Without so much as a breathe, she turned to Rod, "She gets so caught up in her work sometimes, she forgets to take care of herself. You must be Rod. Aren't you a cutie?"

She took Rod's arm and ushered him into the house. Mackenzie couldn't help but smile. Her mother suffered from Tell-It-Like-It-Is syndrome, but it was one of the things she loved most about her.

Kate led the couple into the den and motioned for them to sit. She disappeared for a moment and reappeared with three mugs of hot chocolate. "Michael had to run to the supermarket for me. He should be back shortly."

Mackenzie was excited to see her father. He was a navy admiral and on her last few visits home, he had been working offshore.

Rod, on the other hand, had been a little apprehensive. After all, this was a man who had made a career out of the military. And let's face it, that type of man, though highly respected and revered, were secretly feared by many. Especially by the boy who is dating his only daughter. He now, however, considered the fact that this was also a man who shared his life with two truly wonderful women. 'He can't be all bad,' he thought and his nerves were calmed.

**Note from the author: I've been stuck right here for several weeks. I was trying to keep this story going on a good timeline, but I get so hung up on the day-by-day stuff, so I'm skipping ahead. Future stories will likely have more of a time gap between them as well. I'd really much rather write about the important moments in their lives than the everyday.**

Mac was never, by any means, an extravagant person. She drove a Toyota and owned only one set of real diamond earrings (a gift from her father upon graduation from college), all her makeup fit into a small cosmetic bag, and more room in her closet was dominated by tennis shoes than high heels. What heels she did possess, however, were likely to be Manolo's. That was Mackenzie Allen's extreme downfall: when it was time for the jeans and t-shirts to be replaced with slacks and sleek jackets, the designer junkie in her emerged. Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana…she just couldn't help herself, and tonight was no exception.

It was New Year's Eve, and Mackenzie stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. It was the first time she and Rod would be attending a semi-formal event and she wanted to blow his mind. The dress was a Donna Karan: short, black, and strapless. Long, auburn, loosely-curled tendrils fell over the chiseled shoulders she'd developed by rowing 5 days a week. And her strappy black heels, she thought, would bring her even closer to Rod's lips.

She glanced at the clock: 7:30. They had dinner reservations at 8:00, and Rod should be arriving any minute. Mac stood at her living room window and peered down into the parking lot for a few minutes. No Rod, so she took a seat on the couch and flipped on the television. After searching through the channels, unsuccessfully, she again glanced at the clock: 8:00. Well, they were now late for dinner and Mackenzie was beginning to get worried. She called Rod's apartment and got no answer. She started pacing the floor, looking out the window every few minutes to no avail. By 9 o'clock, she was angry, and when her phone rang at 9:30, she contemplated not answering. She did, however, only to find that it was Carl.

Carl had been Mackenzie's best friend since childhood. They grew up together, attended college together, and shared that special moment when they both found out they'd been accepted to Yale Law School.

"What are you doing at home?" he asked. "The party started over an hour ago. I thought you'd be here by now."

"I did too. It appears that I've been stood up."

"I'm sure there's a good explanation." Carl paused; he really hoped there was a good explanation. "Are you still dressed? I'm coming to get you."

He hung up, not even waiting for a reply. He knew if he did, she would come up with a thousand excuses not to go.

Within 10 minutes, Carl was at her door and the two of them headed off to the big New Year's Eve party.

At 11:45 Rod was franticly knocking on Mackenzie's door. She didn't answer. He knew she must be furious with him, but he absolutely had to talk to her, to apologize to her. A neighbor, angry from being roused by his pounding, shouted, "She's not there. She left with some guy. It looked like there was a hot party somewhere."

'Some guy,' Rod thought. What guy? He bolted downstairs and jumped in his friend's car. "We've got to get to Summer Green Country Club."

Upon arrival, Rod rushed through the door, running smack into Carl Brantley. "Oh, hey, have you seen Mac?"

"Yeah, she's in the bar," he said, pointing towards the back of the club. Carl could see the anxiety in Rod's eyes and knew that there truly was a good explanation for him not being there this evening.

With a pat on Carl's shoulder, he began to shove his way through the crowd of people gathered in the dance hall. When he'd gotten about halfway across the room, he could see Mackenzie sitting at a table in the bar next to a guy with his arm around her shoulders. He froze and his stomach fell to the floor.

Midnight had almost arrived and the people around Rod began the ritual countdown. This startled him and he took off in a near sprint towards the bar. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down swinging.

5...4…3…2…

He reached Mackenzie, grabbing her hand and pulling her way from this guy, whoever he was.

1…

He put his hands on either side of her face, pressed his forehead to hers, and whispered, "I'm sorry." Without even a second's pause, he kissed her. A New Year's kiss is supposed to reveal who you will spend the next year of your life with. This kiss revealed to them both who they wanted to spend every year of their lives with.

When they finally broke, Mackenzie noticed that Rod was in jeans and a polo shirt. He looked nice, but not quite up to par with the rest of the guests. And though her anger had melted with the kiss, she couldn't help but ask, "Where the hell were you?"

"I took your mom jewelry shopping," he explained. "I wanted to get you a gift. Something you could wear tonight, but I never see you wear much jewelry. I thought your mom might know what you'd like, so I drove out to your parents' place and we went shopping."

Rod pulled a black box from his back pocket and lifted the lid to show off a diamond studded circular pendant on a silver rope chain. "The jeweler said that circles symbolize eternal love."

Mac's eyes became teary. At that moment, he appeared so innocent, so adorable, like a teenager talking to their first love. How could she have been so mad? How could she have thought he would stand her up?

Then she began to wonder, "That's what took you all night?"

"Not exactly," he further explained. "I took your mom home while the jeweler put an inscription on the back for me." He turned the pendant over. 'For Mackenzie; All My Love, Rod' it said.

"On my way back here, my car broke down. I looked under the hood, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong." Again, he had something to show her: a smudge of grease on his wrist as proof. "I sat on the side of the road for hours waiting on a tow truck. When I finally got to a mechanic's, I called everyone I knew trying to find someone who was actually home on New Year's. My friend Roger came and picked me up. I told the mechanic I would call him in the morning and Roger took me straight to your apartment. That's when one of your neighbors told me you were here and I rushed over." He took a quick breath and continued, "By the way, who's the guy? Your neighbor said you left with 'some guy'." He motioned to the man who had previously had his arm around Mac's shoulders.

"Well, that's my friend Mike," Mackenzie said, "but Carl's the one that brought me here."

Rod was incredibly relieved. "He's your friend?" he asked. "Yes, my friend," she replied with a sly smile, knowing exactly what he meant.

He'd rushed into the party so frenetically that he hadn't even noticed how amazing she looked. He certainly noticed now. Holding on to her finger tips, and stepping back to get a good look, he exclaimed, "My goodness, Mackenzie Allen, you are gorgeous!"

She blushed. "I'm not going to lie. I was looking forward to see you in a suit, but this is cute too," she said as she ruffled his hair.

"Oh, I know, I feel really out of place."

"Well, let's get out of here and go where you'll feel more comfortable." Mackenzie took his hand and they started to leave.

He halted suddenly, "But then you won't fit in."

"I know of a place we'll both fit in. I promise. Come on."

Rod again halted when they reached the door. "Uh, Mac, you said you came with Carl?"

"Yeah," she replied, a bit confused.

"That means neither of us have a car."

"Well then," she sighed as she bent down and removed her shoes, "I guess we'll have to walk."

"Okay," he shrugged.

They walked and talked about more of the details of Rod's night. In the time that he had been dating Mac, he had come to realize that the rest of the world seemed to disappear when she was around. This was, of course, why he never noticed that they were heading straight for her apartment building.

Once inside, Mac tossed her shoes in the general direction of her bedroom, not really caring where they landed, only glad to be out of them. Rod wasn't sure whether she'd brought him here for a reason or simply because it was the closest place, being that they didn't have a car available. He didn't really care. His hormones where still racing from that kiss, so he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her again, hoping to jump-start her hormones as well. If he could have read her mind, he would have known they didn't need jump-starting. As they kissed, she pulled off his shirt while he unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. They made their way through the pitch black apartment to Mackenzie's bedroom; kissing, touching, leaving a trail of clothing behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

Mackenzie Allen was surveying the crowd gathered in the Courtyard when she felt familiar arms embrace her from behind.

"Can you believe this, Carl?" she asked, smiling and squeezing the hands clasped in front of her. "Kindergarten graduation…"

"High school graduation…" he added.

"College…"

"And now…"

"Law school," they said in unison, giggling at how inseparable they had been all these years.

"How am I going to survive without you if you decide not to come back to Hartford? Have you decided, by the way?"

"No," she sighed. "You know I'd be the last person to admit that I'm letting a silly boy get to me, but…" She paused, looking down and shaking her head. "I just can't help it. I really don't want to leave him. What if I lose him?"

Carl had rarely seen Mackenzie exude such emotion. She was one of the strongest people he'd ever known, so he could tell that she was really torn. "Mac, Hartford isn't that far away," he consoled, giving her an extra tight squeeze. "What did Rod have to say about you leaving anyway?"

"Nothing, he doesn't know about the job."

Carl unlocked himself. She turned to face him, knowing what he was going to say. "I'm being ridiculous. I know."

"Yes, you are," he confirmed. "You know as well as I do that he would be furious if he knew you were even considering turning down this job. It's the DA's office, Mac; a foot in the door for you. And it's exactly the job you were wanting. You know that, I know that, and he knows that." Carl paused for a moment, then took her hands and looked her directly in the eyes. "Mac, Rod lights a fire under you like no one else. There's no way he would let you walk away from this opportunity. And there's no way he would walk away from you for taking it. Talk to him."

"Thank you," she said softly.

Over Mackenzie's shoulder, Carl could see Rod approaching. "No time like the present," he said, signaling her to turn around.

She spotted Rod, then turned back to Carl and smiled, "Are we still on for studying tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely," he replied.

One last hug and Mackenzie turned her attention to Rod.

**(Note: It has been brought to my attention that there's some confusion here as to why Mac and Carl would be studying since they already graduated. And to clarify that, they will be studying for the bar exam to be taken at the end of the summer.)**

"Congratulations, Madam Graduate." He held her face and planted a playful kiss on her forehead. Then, offering his arm, "Your fan club is waiting." He pointed to the far end of the Courtyard where Mackenzie could barely see the top of her father's sleek silver head above the crowd.

"Let's walk slowly," she said hesitantly. "We need to talk."

"Okay. What's wrong?"

She could tell by the worried sincerity in his voice and the sudden tightening of the muscles in his arm that she had rattled him. "Nothing's _wrong_," she assured him. "I got a job offer a couple of weeks ago."

Rod stopped, still holding Mackenzie's arm, forcing her to stop as well. "What do you mean 'a couple of weeks ago'? That's big news, Mac. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was…confused. The job is with the District Attorney's office in Hartford. I wasn't sure I could bring myself to leave you."

"Oh, Mac," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. "You're taking this job. No further discussion. I don't care if I have to drive to Hartford every day to satisfy your undeniable need to be with me." Mackenzie rolled her eyes and smiled at his teasing. That is exactly, or almost exactly, what she had expected him to say. Carl was right: no one supported her more than Rod did. He believed she could do anything, and she had come to depend heavily on his confidence.

"So, is it safe to assume that your parents don't know about this either?" Rod asked.

"Yes…or no…_Yes_, it's safe to assume that, _no_, they don't know."

Then, offering his arm once again, they continued to make their way towards the spot where both Mackenzie and Rod's families had gathered. Kate was the first to grab Mac when she arrived. She hugged her daughter fervently, whispering, "I am so proud of you, sweetheart. I love you so much."

Mackenzie kissed her mother's cheek. "I love you too, Mom. I deserve cookies for this; lots and lots of cookies. You know that, right?"

"Oh, yes, absolutely," Kate nodded seriously. Cookies meant conversation, and that had always been what kept the two of them close.

Her father stood next in line with open arms. He hugged her heartily and, like her mother, whispered in her ear, "I love you, little girl."

He was followed by Stephen, Meagan, Matthew, and, finally, Sarah Calloway, who managed to muster up the decency for a quick and unaffectionate squeeze of the shoulders. "James and Bryan send their congratulations," Stephen said. "They're sorry they couldn't be here."

"Oh," Mackenzie smiled, "it was sweet of them to even think of me. You'll have to thank them for me."

"I will…later. Right now, we all have 6 o'clock dinner reservations, my treat. Kate and Michael, you can ride with Rod and Mackenzie. And Rod," he continued, handing him a small note card, "meet us here."

Rod took the card, read it, and laughed. "Okay."

_6 o'clock on the dot:_

Rod pulled into his father's driveway.

"These are our dinner reservations?" Mac questioned.

"That's what the card said." Both Michael and Rod exited the car and opened the ladies' doors like true gentlemen.

Stephen's car was already in the garage and they could hear commotion in the backyard, so they headed that way. Mackenzie was first through the gate. "Oh my…" she gasped. Torches lined the walkway that wound through the yard and lanterns hung from tree limbs while candles and flower petals floated in the pool. And there were James and Bryan Calloway, standing over a giant grill. "So this is what you were busy doing…cooking."

"Well," James replied, "we're not quite as good as Dad at this, but the surprise worked out better this way."

Bryan added, "We just hope the food's okay."

"It'll be perfect," Mac exclaimed, hugging the both of them before running off to give another round of hugs to the rest of the family.

"Michael," Stephen called from the back door, "I've got a couple of ice chests in the garage. Would you mind lending me some of that military muscle?"

"When duty calls…" he joked in return, following Stephen to the garage. When they were alone, he continued, "Thank you for doing this. It's really nice of you to go to all the trouble."

"Oh, it's no trouble. You've got a great girl there. And she means the world to Rod, which means she means the world to us. And we realize that you guys don't live in town, so it seemed like a good way to celebrate and spend some time together."

By the time the men returned to the patio, the table was set and everyone was ready to eat. "Dad," Mackenzie said suggestively, stepping between them and grabbing their hands. She loved to hear her father pray. No voice could bring her soul closer to Heaven than his could.

The rest of the group followed suit, holding hands and bowing heads. "Loving Father, we thank You for this food and for all Your many blessings. Lord, come be our guest at this table, and as this food feeds our bodies, we pray that You would nourish our souls. And, Lord, we thank You for friendship and family in a world where so many walk alone. With Your peace in our hearts and Your love in our lives, we ask that You continue to guide us and direct us all our days. Amen."

"Amen."

Over dinner, Mackenzie told everyone the news about her job offer. They were all excited and congratulations were again in the air, though not for the final time that evening as they would soon find out.

Rod didn't utter more than five words through the course of the meal. Rather, he spent the time just watching Mac and thinking. She was beautiful, so beautiful, and brilliant, and kind. He'd never met anyone in his life with a bigger heart than she possessed. He watched her laugh and joke with his family. They got along so well. And physically, she fit perfectly by his side, and in his arms, almost like they were created only for one another. In his eyes, she was perfect, and his heart told him she was all his eyes ever needed to see.

It was getting late, dinner had long since been polished off and conversation was beginning to slow. Michael and Kate rose and began to say their goodbyes, when Rod stood and interrupted, "Before you go, sir, could I ask you something?" His heart began to pound, but his adrenaline rushed. "I want you to know that I love your daughter. I love her more than I could ever possibly relate to you in words; and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she is all there is in this world for me. I would be honored…blessed…to be the man that forever stood at her side. I have never wanted…needed…anything more in my life. But before I ask her to marry me, I want to know that I have your approval."

He never broke eye contact with Michael. He never looked at Mackenzie, who was on the edge of her chair with her elbows on her knees and her hands over her mouth.

Michael looked at the love of his own life as he prepared to answer Rod's plea. Kate had tears in her eyes. She smiled and tilted her head as if to say, 'Tell him yes already.'

"Rod," he began. "There's no better man on this earth. You not only have my approval, you have my trust and my blessing."

Rod nodded in acknowledgement and turned to face his future. "Mackenzie?" He grasped both of her hands, pulling her to standing. "Will you be my wife…my best friend…the mother of my children…mine, and mine alone, forever?"

"Do you want me to cook your dinner too?" she asked sarcastically.

He smiled, pressing his forehead to hers, "Smart ass. But, if you're offering…"

She lifted her head and brushed her nose against his. This put their lips a mere inch apart and sent a wave of heat through his body. "Yes," she said. "Yes, yes, yes, and we'll compromise on the dinners."

With those words and the gravity of what they signified, Rod could contain himself no longer. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could. He kissed her lips, her cheek, and buried his face in her neck to hide the tears that managed to escape. Her hair smelt like coconut, and _that_ was how he would remember that moment for the rest of his life.


End file.
